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Again In The Living World
"Riiiiiight", Takeshi grinned, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her close. Tomorrow was the 'big' day, the day they left for their assignment in the real world. They'd been preparing for it for a while now, gathering some of their belongings, finishing some necessary paperwork and most of the time just meditating, conversing both with each other and their swords. They found that they both needed the mental preparation. They met up with Shinji, Mitsuki and Kazuma the following morning at the Shimizu Clan's personal Senkai gate. They'd chosen this gate because it would be quite easy for Kazuma to delete the usage record from the logs. Using one of the official Gotei gates would have had the same effect as announcing to the whole dimension that they were headed to the real world, thus giving away their position to their enemies. "Kazuma, are the preparations complete?", Shinji asked his fellow taichō as he watched the blue glow of the interdimensional gateway. "I've set the gate equipment to stop logging any events for a window of about half an hour. Monitoring devices have been fed a pre-recorded loop and I've made sure no one can enter the control room", Kazuma replied, his face set in what his subordinates called his commander-face. Whenever he showed it, it meant that he was being completely serious and utterly devoted to the task at hand. "Excellent", Shinji nodded to Kazuma before turning to the two youngsters standing in front of him. "You two ready to go?". Receiving a nod from the two of them, the two taichō's and the fukutaichō stepped aside as Takeshi and Akane started walking towards the Senkai Gate. "Good luck you two", Shinji said, smiling at his two subordinates. Mitsuki nodding her accord. "Keep her safe Takeshi", Kazuma whispered in Takeshi's ear, placing his hand on his son-in-law's shoulder for a moment as they walked past him. Takeshi gave him a barely perceptible nod and continued walking. Only when they stood right in front of the gate did they turn around and wave at Shinji, Mitsuki and Kazuma. "We'll be back before you know it dad", Akane grinned, stepping through the gate, dragging Takeshi along with her. Immediately, the gate started closing behind them. It wasn't until it closed with a dull thud, that Kazuma sat down onto the pavement in front of the gate. "Cheer up Shimizu-san", Shinji reassured Kazuma, "They won't be gone that long, besides, they'll be perfectly safe. I've made sure there are several barriers to mask their reiatsu around their assigned area and no one but us is aware of them even being there. For all the rest of Soul Society knows, they're in the outskirts of the Rukongai wasteland, hunting down a fugitive shinigami". "I know Yoshikune-san", Kazuma sighed, "It's just that it's the first time that my little girl is completely out of my own hands. The academy is pretty close by and an emergency Senkai gate is always open in case of emergency during one of the excursions. This time, she truly is away from me". "I know it's hard to let go sometimes my friend", Shinji said, placing his hand on Kazuma's shoulder, trying his hardest not to think of the people he'd lost in the past, "But don't worry, they'll be fine". "Yeah, you're right". "Now come on, let's grab something to eat. All this tension has given me an appetite". Smiling, Kazuma followed Shinji and Mitsuki back towards the Fifth Division headquarters. "So, where are we Takeshi", Akane asked as they stepped out of the gate, into the real world, just above a bridge overlooking a suburb, the lights of downtown Tokyo shining in the distance. Her words fell on deaf ears though. Takeshi had been staring at the cityscape in front of him the second they'd stepped out of the gate. "Takeshi?", Akane gently nudged him, snapping him out of his trance. "Sorry", he mumbled, "It's just that I used to live here. This is Komae City, one of the suburbs located to the west of Tokyo. It hasn't changed much since I last saw it". "It's only been one year, hasn't it Takeshi?" "Just about yeah. But it doesn't really matter right? Even if this place didn't change that much, I did". They stood silent for a few minutes, simply looking out over the myriad of buildings in front of them, before Takeshi finally broke the silence. "Let's go find ourselves a place to spend the night. If I'm right, and if the prices haven't changed, it'll take us a while to find a decent place to rent". "Then we better get into our gigai", Akane nodded, "it'll also give us a bit of practise. I heard that it's quite hard to get accustomed to it if you're new to using them". After searching for a secluded place for a few minutes, they finally found a narrow alleyway, well away from any curious bystanders. They pulled out a small ball, not larger than your standard marble and carefully channelled their reiatsu into it, causing it to expand rapidly. Throwing the balls to the ground, Takeshi and Akane watched as the two balls slowly started to take shape until each was a perfect copy of the owner, be it clothed in normal clothes instead of the shinigami uniform. "Those guys from the science department really know their stuff", Takeshi grinned as he pulled his fake body upright before simply stepping into it. "True, though I have no idea how they got my measurements", Akane muttered as she too stepped into her gigai. "Better not to think about it hun", Takeshi smiled, "though I think they just calculate the appropriate sizes through some extreme mathematical formulae". A few tests later, Takeshi and Akane were both confident they had complete control over their new bodies and soon they'd moved out onto the main street, mixing in with the crowd. While Akane was just looking around, Takeshi was in the middle of having a decidedly odd reaction to being in the real world again, not to mention, in a 'real' body. It was a weird feeling, he concluded, to be dead and at the same time, to be alive. Shaking off the feeling, he led them towards one of the real estate dealers he knew where, after careful consideration, they picked out a small apartment located in the centre of the town. "I still don't see why you were so adamant in choosing that specific place Takeshi", Akane said as they walked through the town again, the contract safely stuffed in Takeshi's pocket. "Trust me, I used to live here, and that was probably the best deal you would be able to find around here. Not to mention the fact that it's pretty close to both the station and the shopping district. We'll be needing some supplies if we're to get by you know". "Right", she nodded. She still wasn't really used to the idea that from now on, they would be responsible for their own food for a couple of months. "At least I know how to cook", Takeshi chuckled in his mind. But his happy thoughts were soon driven away as he noticed his memories of his time as a human came drifting back to him. Even though he'd been living alone ever since he started to attend university, he never had been far from his parents. They lived in Komae, only a few kilometres from his own apartment, his noisy little sister being the main reason for him moving out of the house, he had still visited them every few days. He'd been on the way back from one of his visits when he'd been attacked by that hollow. Even his new place, the one where he'd be spending the next few months with Akane, was only a few kilometres from their house. In fact, it wasn't that far from his old place either. A matter of a few hundred meters. He gripped Akane's hand a bit tighter as he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "What's wrong Takeshi?", Akane asked as she noticed the change in Takeshi's behaviour. "Something's going to happen Akane", he replied, his voice a bit shaky. Just at that moment, he heard an awfully familiar voice behind him call out. Chapter 15 THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS HOME' Takeshi froze midstep as an awfully familiar voice reached his ears. Slowly, he turned around, only to come face to face with a face he hadn't been expecting to see ever again. "Mom", he whispered, his voice barely audible. "This can't be", the woman breathed, "you died almost a year ago". She tried to talk more, but couldn't stop herself from flinging herself into her lost son's arms, crying for all she was worth. Nevertheless, she found herself drawn towards the her son. "Even if this isn't real, even if this is a figment of my imagination. I don't care, "she cried as she hugged her son tight. Takeshi on the other hand was at a loss for words. His only reaction was to wrap his arms around his mother and hold her tight, hoping that she would soon realise that he was really there. After a few minutes, his mother's crying lessened and she finally let Takeshi out of the bone-crushing hug. "I'm really here mom", Takeshi said, finally having found his voice back. "But how?", she asked, her eyes still red from all of the crying. "It's a long story", he said, "but we'd better go home now". The little scene had drawn quite the crowd. Passersby had gathered and were now staring at the family reunion in anticipation of what would happen next. "Ok", she nodded, tears still in her eyes. Immediately she turned around and started heading for the Sawada household, Takeshi and Akane walking right behind her. Takeshi glanced at Akane as he suddenly felt her taking his hand in hers, giving it a slight squeeze. "I'm fine, thanks", he mouthed. Apparently he wasn't the only one that was a bit stressed out over the more recent events. After a short walk through familiar streets, past familiar houses, they finally arrived. Wordlessly, his mother opened the door and stepped through, turning around and holding the door open for her son. "Who's she?", she asked as she finally noticed Akane standing besides Takeshi. "Mom, this is Akane". "And what does she have to do with you?", his mother continued, her voice now starting to become inquisitive in nature. "As I said mom, long story", he sighed. "She's finally seen me again after a year and she's already starting her interrogations as if nothing ever happened. Some things just never change", Takeshi thought as he stepped inside, taking off his shoes before stepping onto the wooden floor. Akane following his example. "Hiro, Ayano", his mother yelled as soon as she'd closed the door, "could you come down to the living room for a moment?" "Ok mom", a girl's voice came down from one of the rooms upstairs, followed by a man's voice shouting almost the same thing. "Let's move to the living room", she said quickly to Takeshi and Akane, ushering them further into the house. "So what's this about Yukino?", Sawada Hiro asked his wife as he opened the door and stepped into the living room. He didn't get any further than a few steps, for soon enough he had spotted the couple sitting in one of the couches. He froze in place, his face contorted into an expression of utter shock. "Hey dad, what's going on? Move out of the way", a girl suddenly spoke up right behind him. Using her natural flexibility, she was quickly able to slip past him and into the living room, the scene in front of her causing exactly the same reaction it had caused with her father. After a few minutes, the two of them shook off their surprise and finally seemed to come to their senses. "Take-chan?", Ayano spoke softly, as if the very act of speaking would suffice to dispel the hallucination in front of her. Those thoughts were quickly dismissed though, when Takeshi spoke up. "Didn't I tell you to stop using that stupid nickname?", Takeshi grinned. "Some things never do change", he thought by himself again. After all of his family members, besides Akane of course, had gotten over their shock. He set himself underway for giving a thorough explanation. "It's alright if I tell them, right?", he asked Akane. "Well, strictly speaking, it is against the rules, but since they're family, I suppose an exception can be made", she smiled. "Right", he grinned, "this is going to be hard to explain". In the course of the next few hours, Takeshi explained everything that had happened so far, only leaving a detail out here and there. There was no need for his parents to know about his brushes with death, well, relatively speaking. "So let me get this straight", Hiro finally spoke up. He hadn't said a word since he had first entered the room, "You did die that day, but your soul survived. After that, you trained to become a shinigami, which you are right now. So where does she come in?", he pointed at Akane. Takeshi shrugged. He wasn't all too eager to tell his parents about his relationship with Akane. They'd always been droning on about how he should have a long standing relationship with a girl. Yet here he was, only twenty years old, a high ranking officer of a major military division, boyfriend to the heir of one of the major noble houses in Soul Society. "She's my girlfriend", Takeshi explained calmly. He figured it was useless trying to keep anything from his family, especially his mother. If the looks she was giving Akane were any indication, she already had her suspicions. She'd always been quite sharp about those things, and something such as a wedding ring would be impossible to overlook. Their reactions were somewhat of a disappointment though. His father only had a severe look on his face while Ayano had a mischievous glint in her eyes, as usual. Then again, he'd have to pull quite the stunt to top what he'd been explaining only moments before. "I figured as much", Yukino sighed, sharp as ever. "Is there anything else you would like to tell us Takeshi?", she continued. "She really is sharp", Takeshi muttered mentally as he sighed for what must have been the hundredth time in a few hours. "Awwww crap, here it comes", Takeshi braced himself for the royal scolding he was going to receive. Meanwhile Ayano had scrambled behind one of the couches, well out of range of both her parents and her brother and his girlfriend. Her eyes barely visible over the edge of the couch. Just as he had suspected, both his parents started unloading on him practically immediately. They took turns yelling at Takeshi, taking over as soon as one of them started to tire. Any attempt made by Akane to go stand between Takeshi and his parents was quickly met with a fierce glare that caused her to reconsider instantly. It took them well over an half an hour to vent all of their feelings. "I still can't believe you could have been so irresponsible Takeshi", his mother said, finally bringing the strength of her voice down to a more pleasant level. "Nonsense, our son should have exercised more restraint than this", Hiro exclaimed, waving his hands in an attempt to silence Akane's protests. "It's a man's duty to ensure that things like that don't happen". "Dad, don't talk like that", Takeshi growled, "I'm not a kid anymore, I'm twenty for crying out loud". "That might be so, but that's still extremely young to get married. Besides, how old is Akane?". "For your information dad, spirits don't age at the same rate as humans. In other words, she's even older than you". This revelation left Hiro and Yukino speechless as their minds attempted to process the newly given information. After a few seconds, a muffled giggle from Ayano drew the attention from everyone. "I know you like to go after older women Take-chan, but this is taking it a bit too far don't you think". Takeshi didn't say anything in response, not that any words were needed. A quick glare did the job just as well, and with less effort, though the glances his parents threw in his sister's direction were equally as effective, causing her to quickly hide behind the couch, until a loud rumbling from her stomach broke the glares. "Well I do suppose it's about time for me to start preparing dinner", Yukino sighed, deciding that it was no use crying over passed events. "You are staying right?", she asked her son and now daughter-in-law. "Only for dinner", came the answer. "We've rented a small apartment a few kilometres from here", Takeshi explained seeing his mother had raised her eyebrows again. Shaking her head, she left for the kitchen, Hiro following right behind her. No doubt there that they were going to be discussing the matter of their son while preparing dinner. "So you're actually living together huh Take-chan?", Ayano bounded over the couch, dropping herself comfortably into the soft cushions. Takeshi sighed, "and for the last time, don't call me that". "But I like calling you that", she moped, "it's a cute name for my cute big brother". "She does have a point you know", Akane grinned at her husband. "Oh for the love of god, no", Takeshi smacked his hand against his forehead, "not you too". "Don't worry, I still prefer calling Takeshi", Akane smiled as she moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks", he grinned, leaning forward to kiss her. Sensing his intent, she leaned forward, her lips meeting his. She didn't even notice him wrapping his arms around her in turn. "Errrr, do you guys mind?", Ayano attempted to interrupt them, "I mean, seriously, get a room". "Shut up Ayano", Takeshi growled, not even bothering to stop kissing Akane for even a moment. Noticing that her brother had no intention of stopping, she sighed and decided relocating herself to another room would be better for her sanity. "How in the world can he be so intimate with a girl right in front of other people", she shuddered. She just couldn't visualise her doing something like that in front of anyone, not that she had any experience with it though. That was also another point that really got on her nerves. It didn't matter if he was twenty and she was only sixteen, she still hadn't had a boyfriend in her entire life and here he suddenly barges in after a year of thinking he was dead, married, soon-to-be father and everything. "Why doesn't anyone want me", she muttered, kicking an imaginary rock out of the way as she stomped down the hallway. It took her the entire trip to her room to eventually come to a conclusion. She was jealous of her brother that he had found someone as beautiful and perfect as Akane to love for the rest of his, well, existence "Why can't something like that happen to me", Ayano sighed as she dropped, defeated, onto her bed. Meanwhile the couple downstairs had settled themselves onto the couch, Akane curled up on Takeshi's lap. "Don't worry, they'll understand eventually", Takeshi reassured her. He could sense that Akane was a bit worried about his relationship with his parents. "They both know that I'm not one to quit halfway through something. And as for Ayano, she might be a bit jealous, but she'll get over it". This caused a faint smile to appear on her face. "I'm glad to hear that", she whispered as she moved closer again. Takeshi couldn't help but grin as he saw Akane's attempt at seducing him to kiss her. "She doesn't even need to try", he thought as he kissed her, "she's got me wrapped around her finger, and I don't even mind. Good thing the other guys from the academy aren't here to see this". The two were so intoxicated with one another that they failed to notice the two smiling faces looking at them through the open kitchen door. "Looks like we didn't have to worry after all", Yukino said to her husband, "they'll be just fine". "Indeed", he replied, "now let's get back to cooking that dinner for tonight". Dinner itself turned out to be a happy family event, with Ayano strategically trying to position herself between Takeshi and Akane, only to have her mother steer her away from the couple, much to the amusement of all involved parties with the notable exception of Ayano. "I suppose you'll be going to your apartment soon right?", Yukino asked as soon as everyone had finished eating and Hiro had started collecting the dishes. "Well, we did rent a place to stay, but the problem is furniture. We were planning to go check out the place and buy ourselves some basic stuff afterwards. But you interrupted that planning mom". "Well in that case I suggest that the two of you stay here for the night. We'll go find you some furniture first thing tomorrow morning". "But where are we going to sleep?". "Have you forgotten your old room Takeshi? It's a bit dusty there, but I'll take care of that soon enough. I do suppose the bed will be a bit small for the both of you, not that I think you'll mind though". This comment got the couple blushing. Mostly because of the truth hidden in that statement. They usually only used half of the bed at their house in Soul Society. Sadly enough for them, Ayano noticed their blushes and stomped off muttering barely perceptible phrases, which was for the best, since quite a bit of the statements were pretty obscene. All of this elicited another laugh from both of the parents who were getting back into full swing of teasing their children. Later that evening, the Sawada family sat in the living room of the house, quietly watching the television. Well, at least part of the family was. Akane had initially been intrigued by the strange device, though she had soon shifted that interest to Takeshi. Much to Ayano's dismay, she had once again positioned herself in Takeshi's lap and was now monopolizing his attention by initiating a serious make-out session with him. His parents were quite successful in ignoring the couple and had started focussing wholly on the TV. Ayano however found herself somewhat fascinated and grossed out by the sAkane-public display of intimacy. Not to mention her jealousy meter was borderlining. Eventually, she decided she couldn't handle it anymore and snapped. "Ok you two", she fumed, "upstairs, your room. I can't stand it anymore to see you so lovey dovey with each other, I mean, give the smooching a break for crying out loud. You've been snogging each other senseless practically from the moment mom and dad got off your backs". "Ayano, behave", Yukino intervened. Takeshi sighed in relief as he heard his mother stop his little sister's rant. "But she does have a point though Takeshi", she continued, making it clear that she too thought that they should take their intimacy somewhere else. "Crap, I shouldn't have done that", Takeshi thought, mentally berating himself for giving Murphy a chance to slip in his manipulative paws into the current situation. "No problem, we'll just go upstairs", Akane grinned at Takeshi. She wasted no time, bouncing off his lap, grabbing his hand and pulling him up until he was standing right next to her, his hand clutched firmly in her grasp. "Lead the way", she smiled suggestively. "You know, the rest of the family is going to know exactly what we're going to do, you realise that right?", Takeshi said as he and Akane reached the door of his bedroom. His mother had already swept through it with her vacuum cleaner, annihilating any dust she encountered. "Yes, and?" "Well, I didn't really think you'd be so, well, forward" "Takeshi, we're married, husband and wife, married couples don't have to be embarrassed because of things like that" "True enough", he agreed, "not to mention the fact that I like you being so forward". "Good", she smiled mischievously as she pulled him into his room. "You know we'll have to be quiet right?", Takeshi grinned as he followed her. "Takeshi, didn't you pay attention during the Hadō classes?", she retorted. Not bothering to wait for an answer, she raised her hands, fingers slightly spread out as if receiving something, before she quickly inverted them and swiped her arms outwards. "Hadō no. 32, Shinkirou" "That takes care of that problem", she smiled, "I think it'll hold up long enough". "I think the people from the Kidō Corps didn't have this in mind as a use for that particular spell", Takeshi grinned. "Well, you know why you love me", Akane winked suggestively before leading Takeshi towards the bed. Soon after their clothes were spread out all across the floor of the room. One thing was sure, the couple was glad for the spell that night. The sun was already up in the sky when Ayano's antics woke them from their slumber. "What do you mean I can't go in there to wake them up?", she shouted at her mother. "It's almost noon for crying out loud. How long are they planning to sleep? Besides, weren't you going to get some furniture for them?" "I don't know dear, but believe me that it's best to leave them be". "Mom, I'm sixteen years old, and I'm not stupid. I know damn well what either went on, or is still going on in there". Now Yukino too raised her voice in response to her rebellious daughter's shouting. "Language young lady, and you're still too young to be thinking about things like that. Now just let them sleep". Tired of hearing the mother-daughter spat going on, Takeshi got up and walked to the door. The look on the faces of both Yukino and Ayano was quite funny though, and immediately brightened up his day a bit. "Too late for letting us sleep mom, your fuss here woke us up". Takeshi really had to keep in his laughter, seeing Ayano's eyes almost bulge out as she her gaze shifted from Takeshi to Akane, who was now sitting upright in the bed, her long hair draped over her shoulders with some rebellious strands hanging in front of her eyes. "Good thing we put on our pyjamas before we went to sleep last night, would have been awkward if Ayano really had barged in as she was planning", Takeshi mused. "Wha, wha, ...", Ayano was at a loss for words. She had obviously been expecting to see anything but both her brother and his wife fully dressed in pyjamas getting up from a bed that hardly even looked slept in. "Sorry to disappoint you sis", he whispered in her ear as he wished he had a camera on hand to capture the look on her face for all of eternity. "She's too much fun to tease", he snickered. Walking past her, he got to the bathroom to get himself cleaned up and into some fresh clothes. He was halfway through brushing his teeth when Akane walked in. Though she seemed a bit disappointed when his only response was a raised eyebrow. "Were you expecting a different reaction?", he asked her as soon as he finished. "Well, something along the lines of your sister's expression this morning would be nice". He could only laugh at that comment. "Please, as you said yourself last night, we're a married couple. This kind of thing is natural right?". "Good point", she agreed as she took off the pyjamas she'd borrowed from Ayano. "Now how do I take a bath in this house?" At that moment, Takeshi swore he felt a sweatdrop roll off his forehead. "So what took you so long to get ready?", Ayano asked with a satisfied smirk on her face as she watched Takeshi and Akane enter the living room, as if she was making an unspoken statement. "I was just showing Akane how to use some of the things in the house. They don't have the same technology in Soul Society you know". "Right, so says the groom" Takeshi had to bite back a growl at that statement. Mostly because her statement was halfway correct. He had been showing her how to use the bath among other things, but it was also true that they had deviated a bit from that course as well. Akane giggled slightly as she watched the two siblings bickering. It looked like Ayano was getting revenge for earlier that morning, and on the contrary to then, this time, she did have a point. "Oh my, if that isn't a scary expression on your face Take-chan", she giggled, pretending to be scared. "So do you really want me to tell Akane some of your childhood stories?", Takeshi growled. "Hey, that's not fair", Ayano suddenly panicked. "Never said I'd play fair Ayano the ...". Takeshi didn't make it quite further though. In order to prevent him from spilling any more of her secrets, Ayano had tackled him onto the couch and was now struggling to keep him pinned on the cushions. Her efforts proved to be futile though. She was quickly floating in the air, only supported by Takeshi's hands as he raised her effortlessly into the air. "EEEEK, put me down you idiot", she yelped before she was gently put down onto the couch. "No fair, you're way too strong Take-chan". "Well, I am the third strongest person in my division". "Third seat Sawada Takeshi, master lightning, at your service", he mock-bowed in front of his sister, causing his sister to grow irritated again, especially because Akane had been unable to suppress a chuckle at Takeshi's overacted bow. "Ack, both of you are just the same", Ayano muttered before she attempted to start a glaring contest with Takeshi, who pointedly ignored her attempts. After having eaten dinner with the rest of the family, Yukino took her son and daughter-in-law off to the shopping district to get them a pair of futons, a foldable table and some necessities they might need at their new apartment. "Thanks for accompanying us mom", Takeshi said as he carried the boxes into the flat. "You're welcome Takeshi. It's the least I could do. Now I know that you're probably going to be busy with things, but please do stop by for dinner if you ever find the time". "We will mom, I promise", Takeshi smiled as he watched his mother turn around towards the car. True to his promise, Takeshi made sure he and Akane visited whenever they found some time in between exterminating hollows, general housekeeping activities and simply being together. Soon enough, time begun to pass at its normal pace, meaning way too fast for anyone to appreciate it. Spring had passed and shifted into summer, the occasional cricket breaking the semi-silence of the city.